Eureka Springs, AR 72632 It is a habitat of migratory birds and contains geological, archeological, historical, and paleontological resources. If you had a time machine, where would you find the planet's highest point ever? The Boston Mountains are the highest of the Ozark Plateaus, and they also have the deepest gorges. Accessible from the Goat Trail spur off the Center Point Trail, Big Bluff is situated between Steel Creek campground and Horseshoe Bend (or Hemmed-In Hollow, depending on which side of the river youre on). However, Turner Ward Knob in Arkansas is the highest peak at 751 meters above sea level. Clinton (Van Buren County), located in the wide valley of the Little Red River, is the largest city within the region. Read our Privacy Policy. Found in western Newton County, Arkansas, its elevation is 2,463 feet (751 m). [27] In 1976, Congress established the Hercules Glades Wilderness, the first of 13 designated wilderness areas in the Ozarks. Youll discover forests, looming mountains, subterranean caves, and more within this unique region. Corrections? The James, Spring and North Fork rivers are in south-central Missouri. Smith, Kenneth L. Buffalo River Handbook. My whole life starting with my dad when I was just a little boy and ending with Ken Smith (author of Buffalo River Handbook) sitting at the front of my canoe during a river trip five years ago people would always tell me the same thing I tried to tell my daughter: All this (the Ozarks) used to be under the ocean.. Grand Falls, Missouri's largest natural waterfall, a chert outcropping, includes bluffs and glades on Shoal Creek south of Joplin. (The same may be said for Beaver Lake in the Springfield Plateau.) No one ever explained that. Thus, the landscape of northern Arkansas and the Ozarks is the result of this continuous exposure over an interval in excess of 200 million years. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S. The cherty slopes on the south are covered by hardwood and shortleaf pine forests. By about 300 million years ago ( Pennsylvanian Period) Africa was approaching the North American craton. Baxter County, Arkansas, alone saw nearly 400 people displaced to make way for the reservoir created by Norfork Dam. 479-575-6111, [email protected], Matt McGowan Gravel bars are common along shallow banks, while deep holes are found along bluffs.